Last week, U.S.-led forces announced that they had retaken Raqqa, the supposed “capital” of terrorist organization ISIS in Syria. As the New York Times noted, the city was under such strict control by ISIS fighters that people could be beheaded for simply smoking.
One Raqqa landmark known for its terrorist activity was the “Black Stadium,” a local soccer stadium that actually had that name long before ISIS arrived. But what the group turned it into was nothing short of a house of horrors. As The Daily Beast reports, “In the locker rooms, showers, and gym beneath the stadium, ISIS created cells and torture chambers for its feared security arm, known as the Amni.”
One man who was detained in the prison told the publication that “[ISIS was] hitting people with tires, and hanging people from the roof.” Another man said, “I saw them killing the people with my own eyes. They tortured people, cut their hands, and heads.” A woman said that ISIS fighters would bring children to the main square and force them to watch public executions “to terrorize their hearts.”
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.
